Funeral Parade of Roses

Synopsis

Funeral Parade of Roses (薔薇の葬列, Bara no Sōretsu) is a 1969 Japanese experimental film written and directed by Toshio Matsumoto. It is a loose adaptation of the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, set in the underground gay culture of 1960s Tokyo. Considered part of the Angura film movement, it combines elements of arthouse, documentary, and experimental filmmaking. The film centers 'gay-boy' Eddie, a young transgender woman working at a gay bar in Tokyo played by well-known Japanese gay entertainer Peter. The plot follows Eddie as she engages in a sexual relationship with the bar's owner, who promotes her as the lead girl of the establishment. According to Matsumoto, Funeral Parade of Roses is "in a way a film about filmmaking" and "a film about boundaries". Funeral Parade of Roses originates from the Japanese New Wave film movement, and is considered a monumental work of queer cinema. The film was released by ATG (Art Theatre Guild) on 13 September 1969 in Japan, but it did not receive a United States release until 29 October 1970. In June 2017, it received a 4K restoration and a limited theatrical re-release.

Text license: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Details

Type

Movie

Release date

September 13, 1969

Genres

drama film, LGBTQ-related film

Created by

Toshio Matsumoto

Runtime

105 min

Countries

Japan